Tag: weather

Tuesday’s Theme Music

‘Fire season’ officially started on June 1 for 2022. This is the June 7; I’m a little late in reporting it. Guess I was beguiled by the cool temperatures and generally damp conditions. Essentially, certain activities are curtailed during fire season, or potentially curtailed. It gets down to the local level and the fire threat/danger depending on the soil and vegetation conditions, humidity, and air temperature. It’s all about being alert and ready, vigilant, and cautious.

Despite sunrise at 5:35 this morning, the temperature remains a springish 56 F right now, but a high of 76 is anticipated before the sun dips at 8:45 PM. This is Tuesday.

In other news, we’ve set up appointments for our COVID-19 booster shots. We’re starting to socialize more, cautiously creeping out of our shells, and we have some travel plans for this summer, so we decided, do it now. Like most people, I have collected a list of friends and relatives who have contracted COVID-19. My relatives are all distant. Only four that I know died; the rest have survived but we’re waiting to see if they’ll experience long COVID. Four friends tested positive for COVID-19 last week. Four more were exposed. One tested positive and was rushed to ER with a spectrum of issues. All of these people had vaccinations and boosters. Most were diligent about masks and social distancing. As the CDC and virologists note, vaccinations help deal with the viral load, but your results can vary.

I’m repeating a song that I’ve used before. It’s a good song, though. I haven’t watched the new season of Stranger Things yet, but I hear that Kate Bush’s song, “Running Up That Hill” from 1985 is featured in the show. Well, my neurons caught wind of that and just launched it into loop in the morning mental music stream. Thus, I need to share it to get it out of my system. I don’t make the rules.

Stay positive, test negative, etc. Coffee? Why, yes, of course. Here’s the music, there’s the day. Seize it. Cheers

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Monday’s Theme Music

Monday’s 5:35 AM sunrise was sharpish, white light and warmth. The cats were first to say hello before launching into their good morning sunshine song. Our June — this is June 6, 2022 — continues spring’s cool, wet trend. It’s now 51 F. Will likely reach 71 they say, with lots of clouds AND sun. They daylight portion of the day will see its finale with an 8:44 PM sunset.

My neurons, of their own volition — they’re like wild mustangs galloping through my head — began singing snippets of “Life on Mars” by David Bowie from back in the last century, 1973. I enjoyed their snippets and decided I wanted to hear the song in its fullness. Choices were to find it on the net or go to the music collection. The first choice was easiest because I was already on the computer. I found this live version, which brought youthful chords back into the moment. It’s a mood maker, a song where you chew upon the words and let the music take you over, under, and up. Lot of Bowie’s music was so.

Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask as needed, and, etc. The coffee is at hand; the moment is near. Here is the music. Have a good day on Earth. Cheers

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Sunday’s Theme Music

Here we are, at the top of June, 2022, and the winds are roaring in like it’s March. Yes, strong winds today, along with strong sunshine, after a day of rain and clouds yesterday. Sunshine blazed in at 5:43 AM, turning the lines of gray clouds into neon gold. It’s 60 F now and feels balmy. 73 F is possible before sunlight calls it a day at 8:43 F.

The dream parade continued last night and this morning. I came away from it with a Tom Petty song called “Room at the Top”. I hadn’t heard it in a long time and used Wikipedia to refresh myself on its details. After confirming it was released in 1999 and was off the album Echo, I read that Petty considered it depressing and intensely personal and refused playing it in concert once the Echo tour ended. Well, maybe that’s why I’d not heard it much. My neurons were just riffing off thinking about seeing things, per a dream, which is why they brought the song up into the morning mental music stream. I always like Petty’s declarative statements that he uses in songs. In this case, he sings, “I ain’t. Coming. Down.”

Stay positive, test negative, and so on, as needed. Here is the music. Hope you don’t find it depressing. I’m going to find coffee. Cheers

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Friday’s Theme Music

I’m sitting on Friday, June 3, 2022. Also, sitting on my ass, and on a chair. at

First Friday of June. That means art walks around here. Wine tastings. The OSF Green Show on the Bricks.

Mild day for it. 70 is the expected high. 52 F now. Sixty percent chance of rain, and thunderstorms might come around. Sunrise was at 5:36 AM — a minute earlier — while sunset is at 8:42 PM, a minute later.

The cats are loving this weather. I opened the pet door, and they slip in and out. Eating, checking to ensure we’re not breaking any floof rules, and ensuring we’re still capable of opening cans and dispensing treats. They’re mostly sleeping outside. Papi had claimed the Boo spot and made it his own. But Tucker noticed. Guess who is now in the Boo spot? Yes, Tucker.

Today’s music was brought on by an overheard conversation. Someone said, “It happened right before my eyes.” They said this three times, using the same inflection and nuances each time. I wanted to know, “What happened before your eyes?” They never said in my hearing. Like they were deliberately withholding the info as a prank.

Hearing it, though, the neurons started humming, “Baby, What a Big Surprise” by Chicago from 1975. Within seconds, it went from a hum to the full-on song. It was still residing in my morning mental music stream.

Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask, and get the vax as needed. Stay alert and aware. Have some coffee. I know I will. Here’s the music. Cheers

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Thursday’s Theme Music

I wonder what it is about a day that things feel like they’ve come together, and the day seems wealthy with promise? This Thursday, June 2, 2022, is one of those days. Nothing extraordinary in its appearance. Sunshine crept in, gentle and friendly, at 5:37 AM — same as yesterday — and the air temp is 64 F. Though cloudy, with a chance of rain, we expect a high in the upper 70s to low 80s before sunset at 8:41 PM. The felines are loving it, happy with washing and slumbering in shaded spots in the yard. I’m cool with it, too.

The neurons continue their music games, inserting “Tempted” by Squeeze (1981) into the morning mental music stream, a song which was featured just two and a half years ago. I think it might be related to a dream. As I’ve been going through the morning, a dream segment was flash like sunshine on a wave, and then is gone. It is interesting that several songs that my neurons are loading are from the 1980s, n’est pas?

Stay positive, test negative, have a wonder-filled day, or at least a satisfying or successful one. Maybe you’ll hit the trifecta and enjoy all three. Coffee time. Cheers

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Wednesday’s Theme Music

June has arrived with the soft sound of muted sunshine. Yes, it’s Day 1 of the thirty that make up June, 2022, different this year; in previous years, June had 31 days.

Just kidding. June hasn’t had thirty-one days since the late sixteenth century when the Calendar Makers convened to settle how many days each month should hold. June had seventy days until that time, and July wasn’t yet a month. Although February was, it had poor representation, and ended up with a short month and an iffy situation. According to the records, this was because February was a very cold month that year at the convention site, and the attendees wanted to keep that cold to a minimum. Such was the thinking that went on back then.

Sunrise was an underwhelming event at 5:37 AM, as clouds were present in force, dictating coverage. One salient aspect to bring out is that today’s sunrise is earlier than yesterday’s sunrise. Changes have already begun. Even though sunset is one minute later than yesterday, we still have the same amount of daylight.

Our temps were top out at about 80 F and hold to 61 now with a mild wind singing through the leaves.

Now, for some reason, the naughty neurons loaded Juice Newton’s cover of “Queen of Hearts” from the early 1980s. “Why?” I asked the neurons. Shrugging with sluggish indifference, they replied, “Why not?”

I think I need to give them some coffee. Let’s be safe out there, and test negative. Cheers

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Monday’s Theme Music

It’s Memorial Day in the U.S., a holiday to respect and honor the military who died defending the nation’s honor, principles, freedom, and democracy. This is often done through parades, barbecues or grilling out, concerts, and sporting events such as baseball games and auto-racing. Oh, yes, there will also be car and furniture sales to celebrate the day.

Today’s weather fetches memories of other morning skies. Clouds with abstract shapes and ominous dark tones only permit brief snatches of blue skies and sunshine. It’s used to be more overcast in other places in the morning. In Mountain View, CA, and Sunnyvale, by this time of year, those clouds would all burn off by ten in the morning, a light breeze would begin its dance, and the temperatures would drift into low, pleasant seventies. Half Moon Bay was wholly different, with fog and overcast skies arriving, remaining until mid-afternoon. A break would be permitted then, tantalizing you with amazing ocean views before the clouds shouted, “Enough,” and shut back down. Temperatures would hover in the low sixties.

Back east, in western Pennsylvania, southern WV, and Ohio, the days were all over the place. Cloudy and chilly mornings weren’t unusual in this time of year. Nor was rain. But the temperatures would generally break out and climb into the seventies, and sometimes into the low eighties. Down in Florida, it’d be humid and sunny, much like the Philippines and Okinawa. Central Germany was more often like Half Moon Bay, featuring brooding overcast skies that didn’t really let the sun in or the air to get too warm.

Here, today, it’s 47 F. Rain is expected, along with a high in the low to mid-sixties. The sun began its warming attempts at 5:38 this morning and will close out its time in our valley at 8:38, granting us a full fifteen hours of daylight.

Today is Sunday, May 30, 2022.

I have a bit of music that the neurons snagged yesterday while I was out walking. A car pulled up to a red light where I waited to cross. The small SUV’s passenger window was partially down, and music was wafting out. As the car pulled away, I decided that the song being heard was “Carry On/Questions” from 1970 by Crosby, Stills & Nash, from the terrific album, Déjà Vu. Whether I correctly identified the song, the neurons started playing it in my head, along with other songs from the album. I humbly offer “Carry On/Questions” up to you as our theme music.

Coffee time. Stay positive, test negative, etc., and enjoy your day and your week. Cheers

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Sunday’s Theme Music

Was supposed to be rainy again today but the weather changed overnight. It’s damp and chilly, with sunshine sprinting out between the clouds while the clouds hurry to stop the sun. Winds gust and fuss about the trees and bushes, sending the cats back in for cover. It’s 44 F now and we’re looking at a high of 56 F.

Hi. This is Sunday, May 29, 2022. Sunrise was at 5:39 AM and sunset will be here almost fifteen hours later, at 8:38 PM.

I have a song called “How Can I Be Sure” in my morning mental music stream. The neurons put it there. I was skating through Facebook last night to see what my family is up to — they’re always up to something, as this is birthday season for several young nieces and nephews, and grand-nieces and grand-nephews — when I saw a post by a friend. She’s approaching her fiftieth and was a David Cassidy fan, so she’d shared his version of “How Can I Be Sure” on her FB page. My neurons remembered the Young Rascals rendition, because my older sister had and played on her record player, so here we are. The neurons have it on a loop, giggling as it plays in the background to everything that I’m doing. I must share it to release it to the ROW and save my sanity.

Stay positive, test negative, etc. I find that drinking coffee often helps me reach a positive state, and recommend it. Here’s the song. Cheers

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Thursday’s Theme Music

Ah, today is Thursday, May 26, 2022. Sunrise came around without much surprise at 5:41 this morning. Clouds have strung out a thin haze on top of the blue sky. Today’s sun is weaker, thinner, milder. It’s 70 F outside. The high will probably find 76 around my house before the sun takes it light and moves on at 8:36 PM.

Today’s song emerges from many different things, partly from interactions with cats, but also from news and politics. The song is “Maybe” by Janis Joplin. Janis didn’t write it but did a great job of delivering it. My mind was full of maybes, you know, maybe this will happen, maybe people will wake up and changes will grow roots and places. Ultimately, I’m an optimist, always looking for the arcs of justice and freedom to bend toward equality, and for humanity to come together and find and develop solutions instead of whining, bickering, and backstabbing. But also, I went outside at 11:30 last night. The cats were out; Papi, aka Meep, the ginger blade, is usually out back. So I popped the door open and waited for him to arrive. Nothing.

The air was cool, the sky was clear, dark, and quiet, and the stars and planets and galaxies were up there, enticing me to step out and take them in. I was out there, breathing in air and admiring heavenly bodies, when I heard Papi’s familiar mewing. I called him; the mewing grew louder but more frantic. Although dark, I can usually discern his pale body. I couldn’t. I called again; louder and more urgent answers were returned.

WTF, over. I turned on the patio light to find him. Walking around, we engaged in call and response. And finally, thinking I was hot on his trail, I speculated, “Maybe he’s up in the tree.” He then looked down at me from the gutter attached to the roof about five feet above my head. Anyway, he got down fine on his own once I walked over to where the height difference between the fence and the roof was lowered to three feet. He jumped down there, no problem. I imagine that’s where he went up but that he became disoriented.

But that maybe, along with the other maybes, had stirred up the neurons. By this morning, “Maybe” was playing in the morning mental music stream. Yes, the song is about personal relationships, but I was hooked on that chorus – “Maybe, maybe, maybe.” Now, of course, I had to find a video or recording of it. Luck was with me as I found her on Ed Sullivan belting out “Maybe” in 1969. Love it when a plan comes together.

Stay positive, test negative, and enjoy this music while I enjoy coffee. Have a better day. Cheers

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